Dance Hall Free for .. Boats!

Caught a solid double bill for a Tuesday in Guelph at the Albion. Here are some thoughts.

Boats! played a similar set to the previous time at the Albion. We arrived after they had begun but managed to hear a few of the songs I enjoy; 'You Have Nothing to Lose (except your arms and legs)' and 'Scenic Gorges' included. It takes some getting used to the high pitched voice that the lead singer employs live (through an effects pedal I now believe) but they still were upbeat and fun. Again they closed with the singer on the keyboard and the rest of the members with drumsticks drumming on most anything around the venue they could find. 7/10

Dance Hall Free for All were playing a show in their hometown and it seemed that many of their high school classmates (and some parents too) had come out to support them. They didn't disappoint playing their funk/rock/dance mix of tunes with their impressive male lead vocals overtop. The lone female was missing (apparently due to a broken jaw) but they still had a trumpet and a sax rounding out the brass section. 'Something Collective' (my personal fave) and 'Dollface' were standouts though the entire set was enjoyable and even those around me who weren't familiar with the band were digging them. They played an even better set than their Hillside debut last summer which managed to win a tonne of people over and if they keep this up they have a promising future. 8/10